St Teresa and the Buddha help us to meditate and pray.

When we sit to meditate or pray, I am sure you too struggle to keep your mind focused on what you are doing. The Buddhist Retreat I attended gave us several ways to help train our minds to deal with what is commonly known as 'Wandering Thoughts'!

One suggestion I found helpful was to first find a comfortable place, free of interruptions. Then to begin by focusing on our breathing body. When distracted, to note the sense organ (or door) through which the distraction entered our being. For example, while I was sitting quietly, breathing, a bird in a nearby tree burst into song. I had a choice. I could stay focused on my breathing, or I could enjoy the bird song. As lovely as that moment would be, our inventive minds need training. Instead of identifying the distraction, we were asked to note the sense organ (or door) through which the distraction came. 'Hearing' would be the one I used in the above example. The other sense doors would be 'looking', 'smelling', 'tasting'.'thinking' or 'feeling''. We were also asked to keep repeating the name of the sense door through which the distraction came until we had re-centred our attention on our breathing. This will make more sense and is easier to do with practise.

The reason we name the activity of our mind is that it will calm our wayward thoughts and at the same time identify the things that distract our attention. It will also help to slowly change our attitude and our perception of the world in which we live – a key reason for engaging in a meditation practice.

What I found interesting, is both St Teresa of Avila and Buddhism encouraged us to become aware of our feelings and experiences and to name them. They also both advised us not to cling to our feelings because they are transient. While the good and pleasurable ones will delight us, and the difficult and unpleasant ones will challenge us, both will pass away. Nothing ever stays the same. We are to enjoy the the pleasurable experiences and learn from the difficult ones - then move on.

The reason both Buddhism and St Teresa encourage us to do this is that we will have times when life is difficult and challenging to the extreme. We may find these situations take everything we have to offer. We may be tempted to give up our spiritual practice because it causes more confusion than it solves. We may even cease to know what to say or how to pray or why we meditate.

Teresa used the metaphor of a silkworm to help us understand such times. She reminded us that in its life-cycle, there comes a time when the caterpillar has to spin a cocoon around itself and wait in hidden silence because all effort has become pointless. She suggested when prayer, God and/or meditation no longer make sense, “we are in fact spinning a cocoon around ourselves”. Buddhism uses different words to describe a similar wisdom. It recognises a time will come when we discover our mind and our identity, key human qualities we regarded as essential to our identity, actually have no substance. Our mind is like the open sky in which thoughts are no more than clouds that arise and pass away.

When this happens, both Teresa and Buddhism encouraged us to have patience and wait – in the cocoon of our re-formation – because this time will pass. Nothing ever stays the same. During this time of waiting both traditions encourage us to refocus our attention on doing something for others. Teresa, for example, suggested while we may doubt existence of God, there is still one thing we can be sure of, and that is offering help to another person. The more we do this, Teresa suggested, the more we will re-discover the love of God.

Buddhism uses different words but refers to a similar wisdom and compassion:

However innumerable beings are, I vow to meet them with kindness and interest.
However inexhaustible the states of suffering are, I vow to touch them with patience and love.
However immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to explore them deeply.
However incomparable the mystery of interbeing, I vow to surrender to it freely.
From this day forth, with Wisdom and Compassion as my lamp and staff,
I dedicate all my life energies to the welfare of all beings. ⁽¹⁾

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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(1) Taken from “A Daily Puja”, Wangapeka Books,available at https://greendharmatreasury.org/